Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is scheduled to arrive in the country on Monday 2nd August on a two day state visit on the invitation of her counterpart President Paul Kagame. The visit was confirmed by a memo from the Tanzania State House as well as Tanzanian Envoy to Rwanda Ernest Jumbe Mangu in a conversation with the New Times. Her agenda during the visit includes holding talks with her host, President Kagame, witnessing the signing of bilateral pacts as well as addressing the press. Jumbe said that the overall purpose of the visit is to strengthen ties between the two neighbouring countries. He noted that currently, the ties are strongest in trade and investment with potential in multiple other avenues. Rwanda uses the port of Dar es Salaam for much of her inbound and outbound cargo, (over 80 per cent) through what is commonly known as the Central Corridor. Ahead of tomorrow’s visit, Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation in July led a delegation of public and private sector to Tanzania to engage in cooperation in the sector. Some of Rwanda’s submarine sea cables IT infrastructure are through the port of Dar es Salaam. The Rwanda Defence Force Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Jean Bosco Kazura and Inspector General of Police CGP Dan Munyuza in May this year visited Tanzania where they held talks with their counterparts. The meeting ended with a commitment by both countries to cooperate closely on border control and crime prevention, information and intelligence sharing on terrorism and other transnational crimes. In 2018, the two countries agreed on joint construction of a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Isaka (northwestern Tanzania) to Kigali, a move which will facilitate movement of goods between the two countries. Studies conducted by the East African Community (EAC) had shown that the Tanzanian railway route would cost Rwanda between US$800 and $900 million. Popular Tanzanian businesses operating in Rwanda include Azam Group, Bakhresa, Matelas Dodoma, among others, while Rwandan companies like Sulfo Rwanda, and Pharmalab, have set foot in Tanzania.
